be-002157-kd 01030
type: RecordSet
archival history: All documents and photos in this collection were saved by Myriam Vermeulen, daughter of Micheline Wierzchowski's rescuer Julia De Bast and her second husband Jojo Vermeulen. Myriam shared copies with Micheline and Micheline's daughter Dora Zeiger-Weinberg. On 6 June 2024, Dora and her son Charles Weinberg kindly permitted Kazerne Dossin to digitise all documents and photos from their family archive.
biographical history: Micheline Wierzchowski was born in Ixelles, Belgium, on 15 June 1937 as the second daughter of Rachmil Juma alias Richard Wierzchowski (born on 14 August 1908 in Lodz, Poland) and Dwojra alias Dora Lewkowicz (born on 28 April 1907 in Piotrkow, Poland). In 1925, Rachmil had emigrated to Belgium in the company of his parents Srul and Mariem Jacheta Wierzchowski-Grunstein and his siblings Chaim alias Charles, Mordka Mayer alias Max, and Chaja Sura Wierzchowski. Upon their arrival in Belgium, the family had settled at Rue Gaucheret 6 in Schaerbeek. Rachmil earned a living working as a door-to-door salesman. On 1st October 1930 he married seamstress Dwojra Lewkowicz. The couple first lived at Rue Joseph Claes 96 in Saint-Gilles, and, as of October 1930, at Rue d’Angleterre 54. On 26 August 1931 Dwojra gave birth to a daughter named Anna, followed by youngest child Micheline in 1937. By then, the family lived at Rue du Camion 29 in Schaerbeek. When Nazi-Germany invaded Belgium on 10 May 1940 the Wierzchowski-Lewkowicz family fled to the Belgian coast in an attempt to reach England. They were accompanied by Rachmil’s parents Srul and Mariem, and by Rachmil’s siblings Mordka and Chaja Sura. The extended family was staying in a hotel in De Panne, when the building was bombed on 1 June 1940. Brothers Rachmil and Mordka were out trying to find food at the time. All other relatives, who were hiding in the basement of the hotel, were killed during the bombing, except for Rachmil’s youngest daughter Micheline, who was found under the debris by Rachmil, protected by her mother Dwojra’s dead body. Their ordeal would have a large impact on Micheline for the rest of her life. Severely injured, she was repatriated to the Saint-Pierre hospital in Brussels where she recovered over time. Her father Rachmil and uncle Mordka also returned to Brussels. Mordka rented a room with Jean and Julia De Bast-Dechef at Chaussée de Charleroi 206, while Rachmil lived at Rue Gaucheret 6, before moving …
location of originals: Myriam Vermeulen, private collection, Belgium
related material: The Harry Zeiger collection (KD_01029) contains documents on Micheline Wierzchowski's husband Harry Zeiger. The Harry Zeiger collection (KD_01029) contains documents on Micheline Wierzchowski's husband Harry Zeiger. An interview with Micheline Wierzchowski is part of the Johannes Blum collection (KD_00016).
accruals: No further accruals are to be expected.
conditions of access: Contact Kazerne Dossin Research Centre: archives@kazernedossin.eu
conditions of use: Contact Kazerne Dossin Research Centre: archives@kazernedossin.eu
has beginning date: 1939-01-01
has end date: 1949-12-31
has or had holder: be-002157
has or had some members with language: fra
has or had subject: 112
has record set type: Collection
identifier: KD_01030
record resource extent: 76 digitised images (78 photos and 1 document)
results or resulted from: 1
scope and content: This collection contains: wartime photos of cousins Micheline Wierzchowski and Anna Lewkowicz during their time in hiding with Jean and Julia De Bast-Dechef ; wartime photos of members of the extended De Bast-Dechef family ; post-war photos taken during visits by Micheline Wierzchowski to her rescuers Jean and Julia De Bast-Dechef and Julia’s second husband Jojo Vermeulen ; a card with New Year's greetings written by Micheline Wierzchowski.
title: Micheline Wierzchowski. Collection